Raising ducks like children - please don't

[duckluck]

She has been a little better each day outdoors.
I am going to keep trying, as she is a beautiful Duck and i would like to keep her.

My only dilema is the 4.30am/neighbours, cos she really is very loud.

I'd be happy to ignore her and make her wait it out till a reasonable time but i think my nbors would throttle me.
I am thinking of dropping a personal note into their letter boxes asking for their patience while i teach the duck to be a duck
and allow them to drop a note into my letter box if they have a problem i can address.
(I don't know my neighbours well enough to be asking/giving out phone numbers)

But, i need to break the 4.30am habit.

I couldnt bring her inside as i only have a one level house,
and she even hears me if i am walking on the floorboards inside when she is outside...lol

I am going to post a new thread asking how i can break this bad habit asap.
I will link it to here.

Oh and today i lifted her into the pool threw some fresh pulled grass in with her and she went to town on it
so Quacker thought it looked like fun and got in too. Which i thought was a great success
Charlie usually jumps right out, but i stayed close and moved Quackers beak away if she started to pull at Charlie's feathers.
So that was a good thing today

Yeah, I'd either drop them a note or knock on their door and explain it in person. If they have children, invite them over to see, pet and feed the ducks with your supervision. If you have neighbor children gushing over your ducks to their parents, it makes the parents much less likely to make a fuss.

I not only did that but had the children come over while I had a hatch in progress, and after they washed their hands I allowed them to hold a hatchling. Works wonders if they can feel like they are a "part of the experience"!

Also, don't forget that you may be projecting your own insecurities about the duck's noise onto your neighbors if they haven't complained yet and you don't know them...they might well be early risers sitting over coffee saying "Wow! Isn't that cool that we can live out here and hear ducks?" There are people who do buy properties in rural areas hoping they'll get to see/hear farm animals...or wildlife. They may not know they are hearing a domestic duck and not a wild one.

 

[desertdarlene]

I agree with Duckluck, it's possible that your neighbors aren't bothered by it as much as you think, but I definitely can understand how you feel because I would be worried about the same thing. Some people would say not to say anything until the neighbors complain, but I think you should, at least, talk to the neighbors closest to you or neighbors you feel more comfortable with.

 

[BackYardChknLvr]

well my male duck Harrold, i got from a foul rescue in my town and the reason i picked him is cause how human friendly he is. he will hoot and hollar when he sees me, he will fallow me around even in to the house, i can actually go on walks with him, my dog and cats down the road.. but he also is my guard duck he isnt dependant on me like yours is, he will get in his pool by him self he will eat out of my hand and stuff also but he eats on his own, he does have 2 girls he loves and my hens they actally all sleep in the same coop together all nessled up and loved up.. and when i go out the back door to see them all he will run up to me and sit in my lap.. i see nothing wrong with a duck loving there human. its natural for captive animals to imprint on to there owners if they are given enough time and effection as i do with all my animals.. cause they are all with me for life... if animals were not to imprent on humans then we should not have them as pets.. but we do enjoy knowing that your new duck loves attention cause you dont see it every day were ducks will litterly just come and want to be loved. Also Harrold loves i mean LOVES car rides he will jump in my car and stick his head out the window when i just go for a drive.. For me.. I will never stop loving and giving my effection to my animals i want them to come to me i want them to want to be held and loved and cuddled that is my reason to have animals not to just have them to look at and get eggs out of the hens, i actually sell my eggs i dont eat eggs i just dont like them.. I guess i'm just the kind of person that is a big animal person.. When it warms up outside i will go out there with a blanket and lay down in my yard and all my chickens and ducks will come and laybeside me as we take afternoon naps together.. I think its simply amazing how human and animals can be around one another and enjoy eachother company and understand even how they are feeling when they need comfort..

So treating a duck like a dog or as i say a family member in my life... I see nothing wrong with it.. Cause one thing about harrold. He was never handled befor i got him he lived in a big pond befor he was tossed on the road and the Rescue found him.. and he is about 1.5 years old.. He's just a silly boy that enjoys Human companion but he will walk away when he has had enough

 

[Going Quackers]

The trouble is a duck cannot be totally glued to their human, that is beyond keeping them as a pet. OP i wish i knew what to suggest, i really hope you can hold on, i feel another home/change would not be good for the duck.

Actually, i am pretty annoyed someone would allow a duck to imprint then get rid, short of massive extenuating circumstances that is incredibly selfish. I'd speak with the neighbors, i know what i hear outside i don't always hear inside.

GL! I think with time and patience the duck will come 'round, it's just going to be a bit of a longish road, unfortunately.

 

[Frank Phinster]

Talking to the neighbours is a good idea, they might get upset with the early morning racket. But if you show that you care for them, they will certainly understand what is going on and won't think of you as a selfish neighbour who likes to keep noisy ducks.

Your Charlie is a good example why you should not raise ducks alone without siblings. I do not know how much such a spoilt duck is suffering because it doesn't know better than to be imprinted on humans, but I think it is just not natural and ducks should most enjoy other ducks as company. Maybe your duck gets used to have another one as company and stops calling in the morning or she may figure that it is useless if you don't tend to her anymore when she calls. But it could be that the wrong imprinting inflicted that much damage on her that she may never stop and best kept indoors for the rest of her life. I guess time will tell or an expert on this field shows up and do the telling.

Whenever I raise ducks on my own e.g. without their mother, I at least get two of them - then the ducklings will get inprinted on me and each other. They believe that I am their mother but also "know" that they are ducks. I also take them into the garden where they can look at the grown up ducks. That might also help to persuade them that they are no humans. Later, when the ducks are too big to be kept in their little coop whenever I don't have to time to spend with them outside, I put them into the pen to the adults - and soon they try to add themselves to the flock and soon do not depend on me as their foster mother any longer.

 

[Diamond88]

well my male duck Harrold, i got from a foul rescue in my town and the reason i picked him is cause how human friendly he is. he will hoot and hollar when he sees me, he will fallow me around even in to the house, i can actually go on walks with him, my dog and cats down the road.. but he also is my guard duck he isnt dependant on me like yours is, he will get in his pool by him self he will eat out of my hand and stuff also but he eats on his own, he does have 2 girls he loves and my hens they actally all sleep in the same coop together all nessled up and loved up.. and when i go out the back door to see them all he will run up to me and sit in my lap.. i see nothing wrong with a duck loving there human. its natural for captive animals to imprint on to there owners if they are given enough time and effection as i do with all my animals.. cause they are all with me for life... if animals were not to imprent on humans then we should not have them as pets.. but we do enjoy knowing that your new duck loves attention cause you dont see it every day were ducks will litterly just come and want to be loved. Also Harrold loves i mean LOVES car rides he will jump in my car and stick his head out the window when i just go for a drive.. For me.. I will never stop loving and giving my effection to my animals i want them to come to me i want them to want to be held and loved and cuddled that is my reason to have animals not to just have them to look at and get eggs out of the hens, i actually sell my eggs i dont eat eggs i just dont like them.. I guess i'm just the kind of person that is a big animal person.. When it warms up outside i will go out there with a blanket and lay down in my yard and all my chickens and ducks will come and laybeside me as we take afternoon naps together.. I think its simply amazing how human and animals can be around one another and enjoy eachother company and understand even how they are feeling when they need comfort..

So treating a duck like a dog or as i say a family member in my life... I see nothing wrong with it.. Cause one thing about harrold. He was never handled befor i got him he lived in a big pond befor he was tossed on the road and the Rescue found him.. and he is about 1.5 years old.. He's just a silly boy that enjoys Human companion but he will walk away when he has had enough

You make a very good point. There's certainly nothing wrong with treating a duck or any pet like a family member as long as you're 100% certain that you will keep that pet for its entire life. Some people can make that commitment and others can't. My duck is my baby, and I've raised her that way because I can literally see no possible scenario in which I would ever have to give her up. If my city or even state suddenly banned ducks as pets, I'd move. If I suddenly developed a terrible duck allergy, I'd simply suffer and do my best to get by with medications, like I did in the past when I developed an allergy to my ferret. But not everyone is willing to make these sacrifices, or even has the ability to do so. We all have different life situations and different priorities. Coddling and babying an imprinted duck is fine, as long as there's no reason the duck would have to be rehomed. BackYardChknLvr, it sounds like Harold has a wonderful life with you! You're the kind of owner who can keep an imprinted duck responsibly, and that's great!

 

[Carebearsmiles]

You make a very good point.  There's certainly nothing wrong with treating a duck or any pet like a family member as long as you're 100% certain that you will keep that pet for its entire life.  Some people can make that commitment and others can't.  My duck is my baby, and I've raised her that way because I can literally see no possible scenario in which I would ever have to give her up.  If my city or even state suddenly banned ducks as pets, I'd move.  If I suddenly developed a terrible duck allergy, I'd simply suffer and do my best to get by with medications, like I did in the past when I developed an allergy to my ferret.  But not everyone is willing to make these sacrifices, or even has the ability to do so.  We all have different life situations and different priorities.  Coddling and babying an imprinted duck is fine, as long as there's no reason the duck would have to be rehomed.  BackYardChknLvr, it sounds like Harold has a wonderful life with you!  You're the kind of owner who can keep an imprinted duck responsibly, and that's great!  

I agree. As long as you only treat them this way because there is no doubt you'll have them forever.

well my male duck Harrold, i got from a foul rescue in my town and the reason i picked him is cause how human friendly he is. he will hoot and hollar when he sees me, he will fallow me around even in to the house, i can actually go on walks with him, my dog and cats down the road.. but he also is my guard duck he isnt dependant on me like yours is, he will get in his pool by him self he will eat out of my hand and stuff also but he eats on his own, he does have 2 girls he loves and my hens they actally all sleep in the same coop together all nessled up and loved up.. and when i go out the back door to see them all he will run up to me and sit in my lap.. i see nothing wrong with a duck loving there human. its natural for captive animals to imprint on to there owners if they are given enough time and effection as i do with all my animals.. cause they are all with me for life... if animals were not to imprent on humans then we should not have them as pets.. but we do enjoy knowing that your new duck loves attention cause you dont see it every day were ducks will litterly just come and want to be loved. Also Harrold loves i mean LOVES car rides he will jump in my car and stick his head out the window when i just go for a drive.. For me.. I will never stop loving and giving my effection to my animals i want them to come to me i want them to want to be held and loved and cuddled that is my reason to have animals not to just have them to look at and get eggs out of the hens, i actually sell my eggs i dont eat eggs i just dont like them.. I guess i'm just the kind of person that is a big animal person.. When it warms up outside i will go out there with a blanket and lay down in my yard and all my chickens and ducks will come and laybeside me as we take afternoon naps together.. I think its simply amazing how human and animals can be around one another and enjoy eachother company and understand even how they are feeling when they need comfort.. 

So treating a duck like a dog or as i say a family member in my life... I see nothing wrong with it.. Cause one thing about harrold. He was never handled befor i got him he lived in a big pond befor he was tossed on the road and the Rescue found him.. and he is about 1.5 years old.. He's just a silly boy that enjoys Human companion but he will walk away when he has had enough

I think my duck is like yours. She seems to do a lot of the same things. And she also stays w my hen. Another silly habit of hers is following my dog around. It's like she gets nosey about what the dog is doing.
I believe she thinks she is a cross between duck, chicken, dog and human.

 

[duckins]

My ducks are spoilt but they know they're ducks my cat on the other hand must need therapy because he wants to be a duck so bad at first I thought he was just scouting them for a later meal but after 9 mon. Of trying to be accepted into the flock he's is currently lowest in pecking order btw they are always supervised but he try's to forage with them go to sleep with and eat whatever they eat his favorite u guessed it peas he's been pecked, chased, and hissed at but still keeps trying he has found he may not be as fond of swimming as they are but not for lack of trying in their kiddie pool that was a hoot to watch. One day he was foraging with them he spotted a hawk he started making these horrible meowing/hissing noises till hawk was gone. Thought I'd share but my point love your pets as much as u want pets they are a privilege to have. Hope Charlie adjusted well to his rehoming.

 

[BackYardChknLvr]

You make a very good point. There's certainly nothing wrong with treating a duck or any pet like a family member as long as you're 100% certain that you will keep that pet for its entire life. Some people can make that commitment and others can't. My duck is my baby, and I've raised her that way because I can literally see no possible scenario in which I would ever have to give her up. If my city or even state suddenly banned ducks as pets, I'd move. If I suddenly developed a terrible duck allergy, I'd simply suffer and do my best to get by with medications, like I did in the past when I developed an allergy to my ferret. But not everyone is willing to make these sacrifices, or even has the ability to do so. We all have different life situations and different priorities. Coddling and babying an imprinted duck is fine, as long as there's no reason the duck would have to be rehomed. BackYardChknLvr, it sounds like Harold has a wonderful life with you! You're the kind of owner who can keep an imprinted duck responsibly, and that's great!

Yeah if anything every happened the city ever did choose to ban hen's and ducks i would deffently move move my self, but i'm actually looking to move some day anyways cause i want roosters my neighbors didnt mind them all summer till winter hit and then they did so they made me get rid of my roosters i raised now i bought more baby chickens Polish's actually <3 Polish's.. and now i got 2 roosters out of 4 so i have to get rid of them and its not easy for me to get rid of an animal i love.. my mom always comes over and says she is gona throw harrold on a roastisary but i know she is joking its only cause he chases her around.. but she likes him at times ._. I just find it so much fun having my duck he is just the quorkiest critter i've ever had and since i cant have roosters to protect all my hens Harrold is doint the job fantasticly.. I just cant wait for it to warm up again and i can take him out on my daily walks i get a huge kick out of my walking bodies looks when i walk a duck and they all walk dogs hahaha

 

[BackYardChknLvr]

I agree. As long as you only treat them this way because there is no doubt you'll have them forever.
I think my duck is like yours. She seems to do a lot of the same things. And she also stays w my hen. Another silly habit of hers is following my dog around. It's like she gets nosey about what the dog is doing.
I believe she thinks she is a cross between duck, chicken, dog and human.

lol that is just to funny does she play fetch at all by chance???? you should try and see if she will cause ducks are smart and they can learn that kind of stuff.. i have a friend that has a goose that will get her things when she points to the items